Legacy
by Katherine Saralonde
Summary: 18 years after the end of KOtOR II: The Sith Lords. The story of how Elan, daughter of the former Dark Lord Revan and Bastila Shan, meets Talvren, son of the Exile. Together they will fulfill their destiny and save the galaxy, just as their parents did.
1. The Best and Brightest

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or _Knights of the Old Republic_, the video game that precedes this story.

_**Legacy**_  
**By Tara Saralonde**

**Chapter 1: The Best and Brightest**

The Force is life. It is embodied within all things, but only a few are able to feel its flow, to use it. These people are the Jedi, the servants of the Force, the protectors of the peace, the defenders of justice. They are the elite of the elite, their judgment respected by all. Not all of them serve the Jedi Council, but they are Jedi nevertheless. But even within the ranks of these guardians, there are those that have been chosen by the Force to fulfill a certain duty, and there are those that have been chosen to aid these chosen ones. Each one's choices determined, or will determine, the fate of the galaxy. One of these "chosen ones" is a man who longs for the return of a daughter that he gave up for a greater cause. One is the woman who stands beside him, the mother of this child. One is the child herself, not yet aware of her parentage and ultimate destiny. One is the boy that has always been held back, but has known that he was destined for something greater. One is a young girl, a former street waif, with a dark past and an even darker future. These are the best and brightest of the Jedi.

The Force plays favorites too.

_Coruscant, Jedi Temple Archives_**  
**Elan slammed her hand against the console in frustration, earning her several disapproving looks from surrounding Knights and Padawans. She clenched her teeth and stared hostilely at the console screen, currently reading, "Data unavailable." She slowly inhaled, then exhaled, trying to release her anger. It didn't work.

"Ah, Sithspit," she muttered under her breath. No matter what she tried, the Jedi Archives were not letting her into a file concerning the former Dark Lord Revan. Recently she had become interested in the Jedi Civil War after a history lesson concerning it. She had always had a thirst for knowledge, though, and she often became obsessed with a subject. A strange thought struck her, and she bent back over the console, typing furiously. Her hair fell over her face, obstructing her view of the screen, and she reached up to hastily tuck it behind her ears.

Elan was stunning, even at 16, with long auburn hair that she usually kept tied back. She had dark blue eyes, reminiscent of stormy seas. Her slim frame belied her strength when wielding a lightsaber, though the form she used was mainly focused on speed and grace. Her potential with the Force was amazing, more advanced than most her age, and she had never been defeated in a duel. She had spent long hours honing both of these abilities, and it had paid off. She was now in advanced classes consisting of the more senior apprentices and new Knights. As a result, most of her friends were a little bit older than she was. She was the Masters' star student, but she was often reprimanded for letting her emotions run unchecked. Her young age had also caused her to be shunned by some of her classmates, but she had quickly established that she deserved to be in their classes and was generally respected. She didn't know it, but she was famous among the younger apprentices and older Knights for her looks and prowess.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, as she found what she was looking for. Master Atris, the historian and librarian at the Temple, glared at her fiercely. "Sorry," she whispered, offering her brightest smile. Master Atris just shook her head and went about her business. Elan turned her attention back to her console, where the file she had been looking for was displayed. _That's strange..._, she thought. The file's history showed that it had been tampered with recently. _Why would someone try to change it?_

She thought about this for another moment, then shrugged and scanned the entry. It contained information that she already knew: the details of Revan Sordana and Bastila Shan leaving the Order and disappearing about 20 years ago. She didn't know why she kept on returning to that event, but she felt that somehow she was missing something.

Her musings were interrupted when her comlink beeped. After lowering the volume, she turned it on. "Elan, where are you! The assembly about the Knighting ceremony started five minutes ago!" a female voice hissed.

"Stang!" Elan cursed, not quietly. _How could I have forgotten?_ she asked herself furiously. She had already passed her trials, but officially she was still a Padawan. A special assembly had been called about the Knighting ceremony, and all the soon-to-be-Knights had wondered about it for a whole week. She got up and ran from the room, away from the knowing smirks of others who had wondered why she had still been here.

* * *

Master Atris watched Elan as she sprinted out of the archives. _There's something strange about that one._ She sometimes got a feeling that something about her was familiar, something she should recognize. She walked over to the console Elan had been using, which, naturally, she had not cleared, and glanced at what she had been researching. She froze as she saw it, and remembered someone from that time, someone she had loved dearly and had guided her back to the path of the light. As almost-forgotten memories threatened to overwhelm her, she concentrated on a calming breathing exercise. "Master Atris," came a childish voice behind her, "can you help me to find... Master, are you all right?" Atris turned around and tried to smile reassuringly at the Padawan behind her, regaining her composure. "Yes, I'm fine. Now, what did you need help with?" She quickly cleared the console, and went to help the youngling. 

_Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Assembly Room, Ten Minutes Later_  
Elan sat in a spacious room filled with senior Padawans, the youngest being herself, and the oldest probably in their mid-20's. All of them were sitting in chairs facing the opposite end of where the two doors were. Master Jolee Bindo was talking about the ceremony next week. Elan had listened intently at first, but had started to lose interest about 2 minutes ago. After trying to quietly sneak in after the assembly had already started (and failing miserably), she had found a seat between two of her closest friends, Anah Dakari and Brylan Truson. She was currently staring at a spot right above Master Bindo's almost-bald head, eyes unfocused. Anah, a white-eyed Arkanian with coal-black hair, nudged her from where she was sitting to Elan's left. She nodded at Master Bindo, and Elan came out of her daze and focused once more on his words. "Master Vandar will be arriving with some Padawans from Dantooine to be Knighted also in four days. I want everyone to be on their best behavior... like that'll ever happen." Everyone rolled their eyes, used to the jokes that only he thought were funny. Master Jolee was silent, then gruffly barked out, "What are you waiting for? You're dismissed."

As everyone poured out into the hallway, Elan asked Brylan, "Did he say anything important while I was gone?"

Brylan, black-haired and green-eyed, shrugged. Brylan was the most mischievous and teasing of all her friends, but he was also extremely strong in the Force, which had led him to become a Jedi Healer. Lately he had caught the attention of a great many female Padawans. "Nope. So what do you think about Master Vandar coming?"

Elan's answer was never heard, because right then she bumped into someone in front of her, who whirled around and said loudly, "Hey, watch it!" The white-furred Bothan girl bared her fangs at Elan. "Ah... it's the Terrible Threesome," she said mockingly, and deliberately looked up and down the two humans and Arkanian with obvious distaste. Elan's eyes narrowed as she stared at her "arch-enemy", Kisel Vri'ag. Kisel was in her lightsaber class, along with Anah, Brylan, and 12 other apprentices. From the very start, Kisel had picked on Elan because of her age. The first time Elan had defeated, and humiliated her, in a lightsaber duel, a growing enmity had sprung up between them.

Elan clenched her fists and looked as if she were about to punch Kisel. Anah grabbed her right arm and said loudly, "Don't, Elan. She's not worth the effort."

"Scared, maybe?" mocked Kisel in a haughty tone.

Anah's eyes narrowed. "Stupid, maybe?" She let go of Elan's arm. "Never mind. Go ahead, Elan."

Elan grinned and her fist sped to meet Kisel's face. Kisel flinched, but when she didn't feel a blow she opened her eyes. Elan, Brylan, and Anah were already down the hall. She was left standing in the midst of a crowded hallway, fuming.

Down the hall, Brylan gave Elan a celebratory high five. "Did you see the look on her face? Priceless! Doesn't match that time we put those fake insects in her bed, though. I bet her scream was heard all the way to Tatooine." He sighed longingly with a faraway look in his eyes. "Those were the days…"

Elan grinned. "That was last week, Brylan."

"Was it?" he asked. "I must be getting our pranks mixed up." Elan and Anah rolled their eyes.

"Someday you're going to get caught by one of the Masters, Brylan. I promise to come to your funeral," Anah said. They all laughed, even Brylan; he was never afraid to laugh at himself. Anah continued, "Well, it's getting late. We probably need to get to the dorms."

Before they split up to go to their rooms, Elan reminded then, "Don't forget: sparring tomorrow." Each week the senior Padawans met to spar. Tomorrow would be their last sparring session as Padawans, and all three wanted to do well.

"I just hope I don't get Kisel," Anah said with a shudder. "She's going to be very mad after what happened today."

"Anah, you are more than a match for Kisel. She couldn't touch you if she tried," Elan said. She was always trying to boost Anah's self-confidence, which was pretty low.

Anah gave her a half-smile. "Thanks, Elan."

_Next Day  
Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Room of a Thousand Fountains_  
Elan meditated, slowly finding her center. She meditated every morning in various locations around the Temple, and today was no exception. She focused inwards and examined her feelings. There was excitement, of course. A little bit of fear and anxiety too, which she tried to suppress. She had always been taught that emotions like these led to the dark side. But there was something else too… a feeling of foreboding, like something was about to happen, something important…

Her concentration was abruptly shattered when she sensed Anah running towards her. Over time, a kind of bond had developed between Anah, Brylan, and Elan. It was akin to the bond between Master and apprentice, but Elan had always had the feeling that it had the potential to become something more. She had never told anyone, but she had always longed to have a bond like the famous bond between Revan and Bastila Shan. A foolish hope, but maybe someday something would happen…

Elan had no idea that that someday was almost upon her.

Anah rushed up, panting and nearly out of breath. "Guess what! The Padawans from Dantooine are here. I saw them!"

Elan stood up. "How many are there?"

"About twenty, I think. Come on, they'll be at breakfast."

They walked down to breakfast together and met Brylan on the way.

Anah asked, "Have you-"

"-heard? Yeah. I think everybody has by this time." Brylan was trying very hard to be serious; Elan could feel it through the Force.

_Too hard…_ thought Elan. She sighed. "Brylan, what have you done?"

"Who, me? Nothing!" lied Brylan.

"Brylan, you have been my best friend since I was five. Tell me what you've done… it's about Kisel, isn't it?"

"Maybe," said Brylan in a determined tone. "The less you know, the better." Despite Elan and Anah pestering him all the way to breakfast, he didn't say another word.

Elan walked into the hall just ahead of the other two. Kisel was standing with her back facing Elan getting her food tray. On the back of her tan robe read "PET ME" in hot pink, and hearts and flowers drawn all over the back. Apprentices, Padawans, and even a few Knights were sniggering quietly and pointing her out to their friends. Kisel, oblivious to it all, received her tray and went to sit with her group of friends. Most of them, scared of her anyways, looked nervous. Elan could tell none of them wanted to tell her.

A new table caught her eye. It was filled with Padawans she had never seen before. _Must be the Padawans from Dantooine, _she thought. She watched as a group of them stood up. Leading them was a tall boy with white-blond hair and tanned skin. He looked to be about Brylan's age. She noticed with interest that most of the Jedi surrounding him were female. He walked over to Kisel and stood behind her until she turned around. She noticed that many of his friends were suppressing laughter.

"What are _you_ looking at?" she snarled.

Elan sighed inwardly. _Friendly as ever._ She watched as he leaned over and said something quietly to her. He turned away and started to walk towards Elan; she was still standing at the entrance.

"Fashion statement? What!" cried Kisel as she leapt up. She quickly ran out of the hall, passing Elan, Anah, and Brylan on her way. "This is your doing," she said menacingly.

Elan turned around to look at Brylan. She stared at him sternly for a moment, then they both burst out laughing. Anah joined in, before suddenly stopping and looking up. Elan felt the alarm radiating out from her friend. She shut her mouth and looked up… at Master Sevakt, one of the Masters on the Council. Master Sevakt, a Twi'lek, was known by many to be very stern.

"What do you three find to be so humorous?" he asked. He looked at them, and Elan had the uncomfortable feeling that he knew exactly what they were laughing about.

She tried not to look guilty and answered, "An inside joke, Master." She bowed when he nodded, and she started to walk away, before colliding into someone when she started to turn. She braced herself for a fall, but found herself in strong arms, looking up into a pair of ice blue eyes in a tanned face surrounded by white-blond hair. It was the boy from Dantooine.

Something woke inside of her then, and looking into his piercing eyes she could see the same thing that she knew must be in her eyes. She was exquisitely aware of where his hands touched her, and how close he was to her. Suddenly she was assaulted by a series of images, of places she had never been, of friends she had never met, of sights she had never seen. She knew this boy. She didn't know where they had met, or when, but they had definitely met. "Hello, Talvren," she whispered. His eyes widened in shock, and he dropped her unceremoniously on the hard floor. The spell broken, she scrambled to her feet, confused and, irrationally, terrified. They stared at each other for another moment before Anah and Brylan each grabbed one of her arms and dragged her away. They sat down at an empty table.

"Elan, what just happened?" Anah said, looking at her in a strange way. "He caught you and then… then…"

"Something happened in the Force between you two. It was… I've never felt anything so powerful before in my life," said Brylan, the Brylan who simply laughed everything off. He looked dazed and confused.

_Not half as confused as I feel, though,_ thought Elan. "I know his name. I know everything about him. I have all of his memories." She continued in a whisper, "And he has all of mine." But even as she spoke, the alien images were fading from her mind. It was then that she noticed that everyone in the hall was staring at her.

"I have to get out," she mumbled, and stood up. Strangely, her body was not weak or tired. She felt strangely strong, like she could take on a dozen opponents at once and not even break a sweat. Anah and Brylan followed her from the hall, standing slightly behind her and to the side, ready to catch her if she stumbled. She felt a sudden, overpowering rush of gratitude and love for her two friends. When most would have shied from her after the strange thing that had just happened, they were still there, supporting her. She knew that she would be nothing without them.

Her feet led her automatically to the Combat Training Chamber. She stopped out side of the door.

"Elan, maybe we should go to the Council, or at least a Master. I don't know what happened back there, but you shouldn't try to deal with it by yourself," said Anah, concerned for her friend.

"No, I'm fine now. It's already fading," said Elan confidently. "I'll find Talvren later and—."

"Who?" asked Brylan.

"That boy. I'll find him later and we'll talk about it," continued Elan. Seeing the doubtful faces of her friends, she added, "I promise."

Brylan nodded and accepted this, but Anah still looked worried. But she knew that Elan would not change her mind when it was set, and she acquiesced.

"Well, let's go," said Anah, and opened the door.


	2. Spar

A/N: I forgot to put this in the first chapter. Some of you might already have read a previous story of mine called The Wandering Path, which I deleted. This story is the same one, but I've changed a few things, including the title. After not updating my story for a while, I realized that I wanted to start anew, and I've written out a better plot this time I hope. School is about to start for me, so updates may be few and far between, but I will work on the story in all my spare time.

_**Legacy**_  
**By Tara Saralonde**

**Chapter 2: Spar**

_Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Combat Training Chamber_  
"Well, students, I understand that for many of you this will be your last time in my class. I just want to say that I am proud of each and every one of you and I look forward to welcoming you as fellow Knights into the Order," Master Kai said. She was a tall, graceful Iridonian Zabrak that everyone admired, and was very fair concerning matches. "Now, let's all show good sportsmanship and do our best today during sparring. I know you've already heard me say that dozens of times before, but I have a feeling some of you might need to be reminded again." Was it just her imagination, or did Master Kai's gaze flick from Elan to Kisel? "The first up will be: Lao'ili-Dakari."

Anah blanched and glanced at Elan. Anah was a Guardian and extremely skilled with a lightsaber, but she had always felt slightly uncomfortable sparring in front of an audience. Elan smiled confidently and thumbed-up at her, before retreating to stand beside Brylan. She turned her attention back to the center of the room where Anah and Lao'ili, who was two years older than eighteen-year old Anah, bowed to each other. Each offered their training lightsabers to Master Kai, who checked that they were on the lowest power setting. Lao'ili was a tall Twi'lek girl who had the advantage of being more adept in the Force, but from hours of sparring with Elan and Brylan, Anah had become more attuned to the Force and could usually sense attacks through the Force. Anah's main problem was nerves: she was once disarmed in a tournament by a twelve-year old boy... who had been nursing a broken arm.

Master Kai gave their lightsabers back, and raised a bright red cloth. The cloth slipped through her fingers, and when the first edge touched the floor... Lao'ili attacked. She started by leaping high and trying to land on top of Anah, but Anah rolled out of the way and scored a quick slash at the other girl's thigh. Scattered applause sounded through the chamber. Feeling more confident, Anah stepped forward... and flew back to land on the mats yards away. Elan cursed under her breath. Why hadn't Anah sensed the Force Push? Anah slowly got up and barely managed to parry Lao'ili's thrust. Lao'ili started pushing Anah back with a mixture of thrusts and feints disguised as the other. It became apparent that Anah was losing hope while the Twi'lek girl was growing more confident. In seconds it would be over. Elan closed her eyes and felt the tensions in the Force humming throughout the chamber, like ropes stretched taut. Lines of gossamer connected all the people in the chamber, the strongest link being the one between the two opponents. She could feel Anah's despair and Lao'ili's triumph like they were her own, and she willed with all of her might that Anah could receive all the self-confident feelings of Lao'ili and Lao'ili all the low emotions Anah was feeling. Her eyes snapped open as the body of apprentices collectively gasped. In a series of brilliant moves, Anah had Lao'ili lying flat on the floor with her crackling blue lightsaber pointed straight at the Twi'lek's bare throat. Lao'ili yielded.

Cheers filled the chamber and Anah flushed, embarrassed. "How in the Force did you do that, Anah?" Brylan exclaimed. "One second you looked like you were going to lose, and the next moment... well, wow."

"I have no clue. I thought it was going to be all over in two seconds, but then I just seemed to get stronger and Lao'ili got slower. It was really weird." Anah paused, a puzzled expression on her face. "Anyways, I think you're next, Elan," she said, thinking that Elan's sudden silence was simply out of nerves.

Anah was right. "Elan-Vri'ag." Elan's eyes widened in disbelief. Of all people, she had to spar against Kisel! Elan wondered if the Force was conspiring against her.

Kisel and Elan walked into the ring of mats, and Elan felt her anxiety just melt away and be replaced by a sense of calm and focus that always came before combat for her. They bowed to Master Kai and each other -rather grudgingly- and presented their lightsabers for inspection. Master Kai nodded and raised the cloth above her head. It dropped and floated down, and seemed to fall forever for Elan. It had hardly touched the ground when Elan ignited her yellow blade and thrusted at Kisel, whose blue blade came up barely in time. Elan's momentum carried her forward and she snapped a kick at Kisel's ribs, and her heel glanced off. The move had the hoped-for effect, though. Kisel was thrown off balance and in no time Elan was weaving a tight yellow cage of light around her. Kisel's parries became more and more haphazard until Elan scored a cut on her forearm. She jabbed with two stiff fingers and struck a pressure point on Kisel's sword arm, making her lose feeling in that arm. Elan snatched the lightsaber out of her hand with the Force and sent it flying until it rolled under a rack of lightsabers near the door. Having Kisel at her mercy, she readied herself for the winning blow. But, instead of leaping backwards like Elan expected, she leapt forward and over, spinning in mid-air to catch her summoned saber.

A beep sounded throughout the chamber and Master Kai shouted, "Stop!" The two opponents froze in mid-attack and stared at her. The Master snapped on her comlink and listened for a moment, then turned it off and announced, "The Dantooinian apprentices will come in here to wait until after the class, when they'll be assigned to share dorms with you. I'll also be away for a moment... don't do anything." The last phrase was directed at Elan and Kisel. Master Kai walked out of the doors.

As if on cue, the doors on the opposite walls opened, and a group of mixed-species Padawans entered, led by Talvren. Elan's breath caught in her throat and she felt a strange fluttering in her stomach. Now as she observed him from afar, she noticed that he practically shone like a beacon in the Force. She felt a curious tingling surging through her body, like a faint electrical charge. Murmurs swept through the Coruscanti Padawans as they watched and smiled hesitantly at the newcomers. But Elan noticed none of this, as her attention was focused on Tal. As if sensing her thoughts, he turned and looked at her. They stared at each other, captivated, until Elan suddenly felt hot and weak and turned away. _Attachments are forbidden_, she thought. Even while Elan could be the rebel, the troublemaker at the Temple, she had never once doubted any of the Jedi's teachings. It was simply so ingrained into her that the very idea of questioning them seemed ludicrous.

"Elan!" shouted Anah, and Elan turned to look at her. Tal's attention also turned to Anah as he heard Elan's name for the first time. Elan began to walk her way when suddenly Padawans pointed behind her, yelling. She whirled around just in time to see Kisel - a strange Kisel with burning, angry eyes - swinging her lightsaber at Elan's side. Elan tried to ignite her lightsaber and bring it up, but was too slow. She turned, and the tip of the lightsaber barely brushed her neck. Being a training lightsaber set on the lowest setting, it should have only stung her and left a minor burn. It didn't.

_Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Combat Training Chamber_  
Talvren walked through the doors into the Combat Training Chamber. He looked around, impressed as he had been by most of the Temple, but possessed enough control to not appear to be totally awestruck. Unlike some of his fellow apprentices, he had not had walked through the Temple with his mouth agape. Talvren infinitely preferred the calm, peaceful aura of Dantooine over this mad and rushing city-planet.

Murmurs swept through the room, and he turned to look at the Coruscanti apprentices. Some of the more outgoing ones waved and smiled at all of them, and slowly the two groups of apprentices from different worlds began to mingle, all with the Knighting ceremony foremost in their minds. Then he saw her, the girl from breakfast. Already the strange images he had seen when he had caught her were fading, but he was still confused as to what had transpired. He was almost certain that they had been her memories, but they had only touched briefly, so why had it happened?

She looked slightly younger than him, maybe a year or so. Her long auburn hair was now tied back, and her eyes were a shade of dark-blue. Her eyes, so much darker then his own, locked onto his and they spent a moment just looking at each other. Then the girl turned away and Tal could sense the confusion and embarrassment in her without even trying, and it was somehow clearer to him what she was feeling than his own feelings at the moment. He knew instinctively that she was repeating the Jedi Code in her head. Someone in the crowd shouted, "Elan!" The girl turned to look at the Arkanian who had shouted, and Tal realized that Elan was the girl's name. Elan. It seemed to fit her.

She seemed familiar to him, but he knew he had never seen her, for he would definitely have remembered. So why did this nagging feeling that he had known her before persist?

Then he saw a flicker of movement behind Elan, and he could only watch in horror as the Bothan behind her raised her saber and struck. Elan managed to turn and the lightsaber only barely scored her neck, but instead of cauterizing the wound or leaving a burn, blood started pouring out. She looked down at herself, and then looked up at the Bothan. There was not a sound to be heard as her slim body crumpled slowly to the ground, but the moment she touched the ground, chaos erupted. People started yelling and, while a few kept their heads, most pushed to look at Elan's wound and see how much damage had been done. The Bothan looked down, horrified, at the body on the ground.

_She didn't know it wasn't a training lightsaber_, Tal realized. His first impulse was to go over there and hurt her for what she had done, but he quickly dismissed the feeling and roared, "SHUT UP!" Everyone fell silent and stared at him. Tal fell unconsciously into the role of leader. "You, go find a Master," he ordered, pointing at a golden Firrereo. "Everyone else be quiet and stay calm." He then saw the two that Elan had been with earlier. Without knowing why, he looked to them and said, "Help me." The Arkanian looked horror-struck and on the verge of tears, but she and the human male walked over. He walked over to the still body, fearing the worst, and blanched at the sight of her pristine white tunic, now soaked dark red with her blood. He knelt down and felt her pulse, and a surge of hope swept through him as he felt it, a faint drumbeat sounding for help. He looked coldly at the Bothan, still speechless with shock, and indicated with a motion of his hand that she should go stand with the other apprentices.

He turned around to face the Arkanian and human. He spoke quickly, fearing that with every moment Elan's life was draining away. "I want you two to work with me to heal her. You are close to her, so it will be more effective." They nodded, wide-eyed with shock, and Tal knelt down in a mediatating pose. Tal gently placed a hand over Elan's neck, right over the bleeding scorch mark. The other two knelt to either side of him and placed their hands on his arms. He closed his eyes and reached out with the Force, and began pouring the Force into her. He sensed that the lightsaber had partially burned through a major artery that was pouring out blood. She could die of blood loss. She was already looking pale, much too pale.

The other two continued to channel the Force into him, which he poured into Elan. He could feel his essence trickling away as well, wrapping itself around the flame of life that existed in the core of her being. _Grab onto me, Elan. Grab on and never let go_, he thought fervently. He could feel the essence of the Arkanian and human mingling with his own, as if he were drawing them to himself. Some of their essence also poured into Elan. _What have I done?_ he wondered, but quickly turned his focus back to Elan. After what seemed like hours, he began to feel their efforts working. He could feel the artery sealing itself up, thanks to the Force speeding up her body's natural healing processes. When a pair of strong hands suddenly pulled him up, he was so exhausted he could barely stand. He looked up into the face of a Jedi Knight and watched as they loaded Elan onto a stretcher and carried her away. He could still feel her, and he knew she would live. With this knowledge, he fell into blissful darkness.

_Two Days Later Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Infirmary_  
Elan woke up, her mind fuzzy and still on the border of unconciousness. Then the pain hit her: a blinding wave of pure agony like nothing she had ever experienced. Then suddenly, just like that, the pain was gone. She opened her eyes and her eyes slowly adjusted to the bright light shining in her face. She sat up looked around, and started when she recognized half of the Council members standing in a semi-circle around her. "What-?" she began, but was cut off by Master Vandar.

"Elan, you're awake. We thought maybe you... but never mind." Vandar looked relieved, if she was reading his alien features right. "You've been in the infirmary, unconscious, for two days. According to Anah Dakari, when you were sparring with Kisel Vri'ag, you managed to disarm her. Remember?" Elan nodded, and Vandar continued, "Her lightsaber landed near the rack where the real lightsabers are stored. Then when she summoned her lightsaber back, she unknowingly got her real one back. Then Master Kai left for a moment."

It was returning to Elan now. "And then the Dantooinian apprentices came, and there was Talvren..." She trailed off, and fell silent. Master Vandar glanced at her suspiciously, but said nothing.

Another Master, Vima Sunrider, an older human woman in her early 70's, said, "Yes, one of the young men from Dantooine saved your life. He sent a Padawan to find the nearest Knight, and he healed you with the help of your friends Anah and Brylan. Quite brilliant, thinking that your friends would be most attuned to you and therefore better able to heal you. By the time we got there, he was so drained that he passed out. Elan, he healed you using so much of his own energy that he almost died... Anah and Brylan were quite weak for a while also…And Kisel is confined to her chambers until the Council decides what to do about her actions."

Elan paused and reached up to touch the faint raised line that scarred her neck. Then she said something that she would never have said earlier. But she had changed, and she believed Kisel had changed too. "Don't be too hard on Kisel. I know she got angry and she shouldn't have, but she didn't know it was a real lightsaber..." Elan felt a surge of compassion for Kisel, because she remembered the look in the Bothan's eyes right after she had attacked Elan. Then she remembered the others.

"Where's Anah? And Brylan, and Talvren? I... I want to thank them."

Master Vima smiled at Elan's stream of questions. "Anah and Brylan are outside, probably arguing with the Jedi on infirmary duty. Also, Elan, because of the way you were healed, there might be certain repercussions-" But just then, the door burst open and Anah and Brylan burst in, followed by a Jedi Knight. Vandar glanced at the Jedi, and with a nod he retreated and closed the door.

Brylan and Anah both jumped onto her bed, eyes filled with relief. "Elan, you're all right!" Anah shouted and fiercely hugged Elan. When Elan was released she gasped for breath.

"What are you trying to do, kill me?" She exaggeratedly winced. "I'm glad to see you too, Anah."

Brylan laughed at Anah's mock glare, then said, "It's about time you woke up, Elan. You had us worried there."

The Masters smiled, and all left the room except for Master Vandar and Vima. "So where is he?" asked Elan a few seconds after Anah and Brylan had finished giving her their account on the events. Vandar and Vima glanced at each other, and then Master Vandar spoke.

"Elan, when Talvren healed you, he used a method where he used himself as a conduit to channel the Force into you. When he did that, some of his own essence seeped into you, creating a bond of sorts. And since Anah and Brylan were also channeling the Force into you, their essence was also mixed in. You four are linked by the Force, but we believe it will probably be strongest between you and Talvren."

Elan was confused, but secretly thrilled at the same time. She looked at her friends' faces and saw that this was not new news to them. "So what will this... bond mean? Is it like the one between Revan and Bastila?"

Vandar glanced at Vima as if they shared a secret, then said, "Perhaps it will grow to be as strong as that; I am not sure. But in the case of Revan and Bastila, they were able to draw on each other's powers and sense the other's emotions as the bond grew stronger. And, after a while, they were able to communicate through the Force over vast distances. We don't know what this will mean for you four, though, but later the Council will summon you to talk about it."

"Yes... I can feel it, I think." Something new and strange was rising to her mind. Perhaps it had always been there, something so natural to her that she had thought nothing more about it than breathing. The only change now was that she was conscious of it. She reached out into it, and felt that the faint bond between herself, Anah, and Brylan had suddenly increased. They were now closer than ever before. She also felt a new addition to their bond. It was dim and clouded, but near.

"Talvren's close." She looked around the room, as if expecting him to suddenly appear out of thin air. "Where is he?"

Vima walked over to a console on the wall and typed in a command. Silently, the curtain on the right side of Elan's bed drew back. On the other side of the it, Tal was lying, unconcious, on an infirmary bed. Elan had to admit to herself that he looked pretty bad. His face was pale and his eyes shadowed, but even as they watched he stirred and woke. He rolled on his side and his gaze met Elan's. A spark seemed to jump between them, and everyone could feel it. Master Vandar and Vima exchanged worried glances.

Tal grinned at Elan and no longer looked sick. Elan suddenly recalled the words that had pulled her out of the darkness: _Grab onto me, Elan. Grab on and never let go._ She smiled back at him, and she felt that her life was about to take a turn for the better.

_3 Days Later_  
The Jedi on infirmary duty had condemned them to being trapped in their small rooms until the Knighting ceremony. In that short space of time, the four formed a friendship as strong as the one it had taken Elan, Anah, and Brylan years to form.

They constantly explored their bond during those three days, and mastery of it came so naturally to them that Brylan had remarked that it was "almost scary." They could feel each other's emotions almost unconsciously, but it took more effort to talk through it. The day before, though, they had succeeded in having a long conversation completely nonverbally. They practiced constantly, and had freaked some of Elan's friends out by finishing each other's sentences.

Then, late in the second day, Kisel came to visit Elan.

_Elan and Tal were talking about the differences in how they had been trained, when a chime sounded and Kisel walked in. They both fell silent. _Kisel's here, _Elan sent through the bond to Anah and Brylan. _Do you want us to come? _was the reply, but Elan answered no._

_Tal glared angrily at Kisel, until she lowered her gaze, ashamed. Tal opened his mouth to speak, when Elan spoke sharply to him through their bond, _Don't.

_"Hello, Kisel," said Elan quietly, breaking the tense silence. Kisel glanced up hesitantly, but when she saw there was no anger or blame in Elan's expression, the set of her shoulders relaxed._

_Kisel took a deep breath before saying, "Elan, I came to apologize for what I did to you. I let my anger control my actions, which is of the dark side. I... I have never been good at controlling my emotions, but I don't mean to excuse what I did. It was wrong, and I only hope that you can forgive me."_

_Elan replied without hesitation, "I should be the one to apologize. I have never let an opportunity go by in which I could have insulted you. I never tried to even be nice to you, and I've thought about it a lot for the past day. You didn't know it wasn't a training lightsaber, either."_

_Kisel smiled, relieved. "I hope you recover fully, Elan." She turned and left, the door sliding shut behind her._

You were going to make her angry, weren't you? _she thought at Tal. _

Maybe, _he replied neutrally, though his face said otherwise. Elan just rolled her eyes, and they resumed their conversation._

But, perhaps all too soon, it was time for the four of them to be Knighted.


End file.
